1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to sporting equipment and, more particularly, to golf equipment.
2. Discussion of Art
In the sport or activity of golf it is a known problem that some participants have limited mobility (e.g. find it difficult to bend down and retrieve a ball from the ground, or to stretch and retrieve a ball from under a bush) yet would like to continue in active play.
Certain apparatus have previously been proposed for resolving this problem. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,204 discloses a ball scoop that is attached by way of a bent wire to the butt or grip end of a golf club. As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,743,113 discloses a golf ball retriever, which is affixed to an end of a golf club shaft; the retriever includes a fitting that caps the end of the golf club shaft, a plug sized to be received within the golf club shaft, a plurality of wires secured to the plug and extending through the fitting inner bore, and a plurality of contact elements each being attached to one of the wires. A user grasps the wires to extend the wires from the golf club shaft to a position retained by engagement of the plug and fitting, wherein the wires diverge in order to receive the golf ball when pressed upon the golf ball.